title: Veterans' attitudes toward work and disability compensation: associations with substance abuse.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Veterans deemed disabled for conditions resulting from, or aggravated by, their service in the military are eligible for service-connected disability payments. Despite many positive effects of disability payments, one concern is that Veterans with psychiatric conditions who receive disability payments are less likely to be employed compared to those who are denied benefits. Little is known about the attitudes of substance using Veterans, for whom work is a particularly important part of recovery, toward work and disability compensation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study compared the responses of Veterans with (n=33) and without substance use problems (n=51) to questions about work's significance and its relationship to disability payments. T- and chi-square tests were conducted to determine if Veterans with substance use problems differed from the others on work-related attitudes and perceptions of the relation between work and Veterans' benefits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Veterans endorsed high levels of agreement with statements that working would lead to loss of benefits. Veterans with substance use agreed more strongly that they would rather turn down a job offer than lose financial benefits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The greater preference for disability payments among substance-using Veterans may reflect a realistic concern that they are particularly likely to have difficulty maintaining employment. The widespread concern among Veterans that work will lead to loss of VA disability payments is striking given the ambiguity about how likely loss of benefits actually is, and should be addressed during the service-connection application process.
authors.affiliation: VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, Psychiatry Department, 116A, West Haven, CT 06516, United States; Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, United States. Electronic address: sarah.meshberg-cohen@yale.edu.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meshberg-Cohen
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reid-Quiñones
authors.forename: Anne C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: Marc I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Rosen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015897:Comorbidity; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D015273:Insurance Selection Bias; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014937:Work / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Benefits; Employment; Service-connected disability; Substance abuse; VA disability; Veterans